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Beware! Traffic cops to be stricter
DDA flats to be for Delhiites only?
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Woman beaten up by in-laws
Maid tortured for 7 months
DU students march for Mangalore pub victims
Post 9/11: Foreign policy faces newer challenges
Rs 431 cr earmarked for higher education: Sharda
Parents protest school fee hike
Ansal brothers get bail
Babloo Shrivastava gang member held for extortion
Fake visa racket busted
GDA engineer suspended
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Beware! Traffic cops to be stricter
New Delhi, January 30 Although the traffic police keeps launching such drives, the first drive of the year is always considered to be the most thorough and strictest. Any offence on road this time around will lead to penalisation and no amount of pleading and bossing is going to work. According to senior traffic police officials, traffic constables have been instructed to challan offenders and not to get baulked by someone dropping names. “We have asked our men to not get awed if a traffic offender claims to know any senior Delhi police official. In fact someone who knows an official should be more sensitive towards the rules. Incase he/she breaks the rules, he/she must be challaned,” said a senior traffic police official. Moreover, to meet the traffic needs of the ever-growing city, the traffic police is also working upon to increase its infrastructure. According to a traffic police official, the traffic police has recently been sanctioned over 1,600 recruitment (sub-inspectors and constables). Besides, the number of motorcycles used by traffic policemen will be increased from 210 to 420. Officials believe that doubling the number of bikes will substantially reduce traffic violations. Moreover, PCR vans will also be doubled to 100 by February-end. These vans, apart from policemen will also carry a traffic police officer, who will check traffic violations and prosecute offenders then and there. Besides, the traffic police is also working on inculcating traffic sense in commuters. According to sources, the traffic police is roping in schoolchildren and volunteers to educate people about traffic rules. Some schools, who were contacted for the service, have agreed to spare students for a few hours once a month. Last week while addressing a press conference, even Delhi police commissioner Y.S. Dadwal had stressed on the need for people to be self-regulated while driving. “Apart from traffic drives which are conducted regularly, this year we want people to follow ‘self-regulation’. One should follow traffic rules and regulate oneself not out of fear of penalty or police action, but as a moral duty and concern towards other road users,” said
Dadwal. |
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President calls for rehabilitation of
lepers
New Delhi, January 30 She said that effort should be made to look after the rehabilitation of the cured and recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s interest in working for those afflicted with leprosy. “The rehabilitation of leprosy patients is as important as their treatment. Though the disease is very much curable, prevention is always better. We must spread awareness about ways to prevent the disease,” said Patil. Government doctors and university teachers also attended the function. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced an increase in the monthly stipend for lepers. Addressing a gathering today, Dikshit said the stipend would be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,800. Last year it was enhanced from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000 per month. Lepers from Tahirpur Leprosy Colony and Seemapuri turned up in large number at the Chief Minister’s residence. She assured that the government would continue to provide all necessary help in this direction. A 20-minute play by a theatre group, including those by children from leper colonies was performed. |
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DDA flats to be for Delhiites only?
Scam: DDA panel report put
off The Delhi Development Authority has again postponed its plan to submit the report of the committee constituted to make an inquiry into the alleged scam in the flat draw case. Now the committee has been asked to submit its report on February 10. Earlier, it had to be submitted on January 24. But it was postponed for January 30, said director, public relations,
Neemodhar. Sources said that the DDA is delaying the report as its officials are suspected to be involved in the case.
New Delhi, January 30 This assurance has been made in view of the current scam in the DDA in draw of flats. The minister also assured that the interest sum would be refunded to the applicants of the DDA Housing Scheme 2008. The DDA had collected Rs 9000 crore application money and had earned a net profit of about Rs 475 crore through interest earned on it. “Housing schemes are not lotteries and it makes no sense to have them for people residing far away from Delhi,” Goel said. Goel also sought that an ordinance be issued to provide relief to the traders from sealing and demolition to the commercial establishments. Extending the notification providing relief by one year at a time, it should be brought for providing relief for five years at one go, he suggested.
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Woman beaten up by in-laws
Noida, January 30 Dissatisfied with the local police’s investigations, the woman approached the all-women police station here. Station officer of the women police station Mithilesh Saingar confirmed, “A woman of Choganpur village in the Bisrakh area of Greater Noida has complained that her in-laws had beaten her. Earlier, she had lodged a complaint at Bisrakh police station. In her complaint, she has stated that the village elders had brokered a settlement between her and her in-laws. But after the settlement, she was not allowed to enter the house and was beaten mercilessly when she returned to her in-laws place. Moreover, her husband, Inder Kumar, did not come to the police station till late evening despite of repeated requests.” Bisrakh police station SHO Brij Mohan Singh said, “A woman of Choganpur village had lodged a complaint last month that her husband’s elder brother tried to rape her. She was married three years ago. When she could not conceive, tests were conducted which found her husband impotent. Thereafter, her in-laws pressurised her to conceive a child with her husband’s elder brother. When she refused to their demand, she was beaten up.” He added the victim’s in-laws had also lodged a complaint against her father and other family members for injuring them in a clash. Village pradhan Hakam Singh told The Tribune, “We had managed a settlement between the two families. But, later, the woman’s in-laws refused to keep her. The village supports the woman, as her injuries speak the brutality of her in-laws.” |
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Maid tortured for 7 months
Noida, January 30 City magistrate Sanjay
Chauhan, told The Tribune, “One social worker Usha Thakur had written
about the employment and subsequent torture of the maid by her employer
N.P. Singh, residing at Sector 62 in Rajat Vihar. She had stated that
the maid was held captive by the employer. However, when Roopanti was
produced before me, she said that nobody was physically torturing her,
so there is no case of physical torture. She said that she wanted to go
back to her home in Assam.” Chauhan further said, “Though the NGO
had claimed her to be 11 years old, but the girl told me that her age
was 16 years. However, I have sent her to the district hospital for age
verification. If she is found to be less than 14 years of age, legal
action would be taken against the employer as per the prevention of
child labour act. “Further I am contemplating action against the
employer under the minimum wages act too, as the monthly minimum wages
for employing any maid is Rs 3,250, but she was hired for Rs 1,500
through a Delhi-based placement agency B.K.Maids and Nurses
Association,” Chauhan added. However, social worker Usha Thakur says,
“Residents of Rajat Vihar had approached me and informed about the
beating of the maid, who was less than 14 years of age. Maid too
had complained to me about her employer. Accordingly I wrote to the city
magistrate, but now she has retracted from her statement before him.” |
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DU students march for Mangalore pub victims
New Delhi, January 30 Students protesting under the banner of the All India Students Association (AISA), displayed placards and raised slogans like ‘Ban Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena that have attacked women’s freedom’, Down with saffron terrorism’, ‘Resist patriarchy and fascism, defend women’s rights’, ‘Be it Taliban or Sangh Parivar – both are terrorists’, ‘shame on attacks on freedom of expression – be it in DU or in Mangalore’. The march passed through the university campus addressing students at canteens and other public places. It culminated at Vivekananda Statue, where students and women activists addressed a mass meeting, after which the effigy was burnt. The march saw a large number of female participants. Pooja, a Russian language student and the vice-president of AISA’s DU unit, said, “DU too recently experienced a similar incident when the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had attacked a seminar. These saffron forces are enemies of freedom of expression and women’s rights and our protest is a warning for them.” Neethu Samuel, a history student said, “Today they say women should not go to pubs. Tomorrow, they might say women wearing certain clothes or even going to school or college is ‘against Indian culture,’ because in old days women were denied such freedoms. We cannot allow these saffron brigades to decide what is moral and what is not.” |
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Post 9/11: Foreign policy faces newer challenges
New Delhi, January 30 Vaidik was speaking at the release of the book, ‘Post 9/11 Indian Foreign Policy: Challenges and opportunities’. The book is a collection of articles by various authors which have been edited and compiled by Sudhir Kumar Singh of Delhi University. Vaidik said, “I feel that the biggest threat nowadays is of a nuclear war. However, I do feel that currently our foreign policy is directed towards recognition from the US, but policy-makers should keep in mind that as a nation we are unique and have a destiny of our own. We are a cultural and spiritual super power and can work towards becoming an economic one.” Stressing the need of creating togetherness with India’s neighbours, Vaidik expounded, “Indian foreign policy lacks farsightedness. If we want to be a great power, the challenge before us is of bringing peace and togetherness in India’s immediate neighbourhood. We should be moving towards the creation of a new South Asia. Afghanistan should be brought into SAARC and using diplomacy and trade, the wider Asian region should be made more cohesive, knit together so that it proves better than the European Union. This is the real challenge before us.” |
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Rs 431 cr earmarked for higher education: Sharda
Gurgaon, January 30 This was stated by state parliamentary secretary Sharda Rathor at the closing ceremony of the three-day state-level science exhibition at the Government College for Women here today. Rathor exhorted students to work hard to achieve success. She asserted that education was on the priority list of the state government. A model school would be set up in each block of the state, she said. Earlier, Rathor laid the foundation stone of a residential colony and a multipurpose hall on the college premises. Principal secretary to the Chief Minister M.L. Tayal said India had produced a number of eminent scientists who had brought laurels to the country. He asked the students to draw inspiration from such scientists. Tayal pointed out that India’s leaders had visualized that the country would be a super-power in the 21st century world on the basis of its giant leaps in the realms of science and information technology. Financial commissioner and principal secretary (education) Rajan Gupta observed such exhibitions provided a golden opportunity to the students and helped them in infusing team spirit. Gupta advised students to read informative magazines and newspapers for at least one hour daily. He urged teachers to keep themselves updated on the latest advancements in various fields and pass on the relevant information to students. |
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Parents protest school fee hike
New Delhi, January 30 DAM president Vijender Gupta described the government’s decision as irrational. The government should examine the financial records of schools before allowing them to hike fee, he said. He suggested the Bansal Commission report should be made public to invite comments from parents and NGOs. He further said that the government must constitute a permanent tribunal as suggested by the Delhi High Court to decide fee hike disputes between parents and schools. The tribunal can be asked to complete the task of Justice Duggal Committee. The High Court had entrusted the committee to go through the accounts of schools and ascertain whether the fee and other charges earned by them during 1997-98 and 1998-99 was justified or not. He further suggested that the schools’ accounts be audited by government auditors. Meanwhile, Confederation of All-India Traders (CAIT) secretary Parveen Khandelwal has said that education cess be used to pay the arrears and increased salaries of teachers and other staff members of private schools. Attempts to impose financial burden on parents will be opposed and if need be the Delhi Parents’ Council will approach the High Court. If loans of Rs 70,000 crore to farmers can be waived, why not the salary hike of teachers be meted out from tax collected through education cess, he questioned. |
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Ansal brothers get bail
New Delhi, January 30 A bench headed by Justice S.B. Sinha ordered that the Ansal brothers be released on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each. The bench also issued notices on the cross appeals filed by the Ansals and the Association of the Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) challenging the one year sentence imposed on the accused by the Delhi High Court. While, the Ansals had challenged the sentence imposed by the High Court, the victims’ association had sought enhancement of the punishment on the ground that the offence fell under the purview of Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The High Court had reduced the sentence to one year prison term from two years imposed by the sessions court. A total of 59 people, including 22 children, had died and over 100 were injured in the fire in the South Delhi Uphaar cinema hall owned by the Ansal brothers. |
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Babloo Shrivastava gang member held for extortion
New Delhi, January 30 “The accused disclosed that he had extorted Rs 1.5 lakh from the owner of Kumar Saree Emporium, Laxmi Nagar,” said DCP (East) S. Dash. Several businessmen from area have registered complaints about receiving threatening calls from Shishodia who claimed to be the member of Babloo Shrivastava gang. Dash said that three businessman of the area had received extortion threats for Rs 5 to 10 lakh in the name of Babloo Shrivastava during December 2008. “The businessmen own shops like Kumar Saree Emporium, Kalra Sweets and Taneja Sweets. Shailender posed as Ajay Pandit, an associate of gangster Babloo Shrivastava, while speaking to them,” added Dash. |
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Fake visa racket busted
New Delhi, January 30 Those arrested have been identified as Baldev Raj (41) and Ravinder Singh (26). The duo was arrested on the basis of information provided by the anti-auto theft squad that the two were seen driving a stolen car on the Nelson Mandela Marg. When apprehended, they could not produce the paper of the car and instead the police found eight passports lying in the car. The accused used to lure innocent villagers from Haryana and Punjab on the pretext of sending them to foreign countries like UK and Canada. On interrogation, they revealed that they are a part of a gang involved in luring innocent villagers of Haryana and Punjab to send them to foreign courtiers for jobs on fake visa. On their instance, 22 more passports were recovered. A case under IPC and Passport Act was registered against the accused at Vasant Vihar police station. The police is now trying to arrest other members of the gang.
— TNS |
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